Rail bond and method of making the same



Nov. 27, 1928.

W. F. HART RAIL BOND AND METHOD OF" MAKING THE SAME Filed April 1926 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 8 a 8 l/ INVENTOR Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

WILLIAM F. HART, or

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VERONA TOOI;

WORKS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL BOND AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed April 3, 1926. Serial No. 99 683.,

The present invention relates broadly to bonds and methods of making the same and more particularly to resilient bonds suitable for use with railways, and having resilient characteristics of such nature that they are adapted to be clamped in position between the webs of the rail ends to be bonded and the fish plates used for completing the joints. It has heretofore been proposed to construct rail bonds of the general character herein. contemplated in such manner as to provide a plurality of rail engaging points adapted, under suitable pressure, to penetrate rust, scale or the like on the webs of the rails and thus establish the desired electrical con-ducting rela tionship. This has been obtained in some instances by curving suitably shaped blanks either longitudinally, transversely or both, the combined longitudinal and transverse curvature, having in reality, gone into more or less extended use. As the result of such use it has been found that bonds having the 'construction referred totake a permanent set which is great enough to be decidedly objectionable. As the result of a careful study of such bonds and of a number of experiments in connection therewith, I have found that, to a very large extent at least, the permanent set is due, not only to a concentrated strain on the bond by reason of its limited contact with the fish plate but also, the tremendous strain imposed on the bond by reason of the transverse curvature, this strain frequently being sufficient to result in breakage of the joint.

The contact points of the character referred to have been found to be decidedly desirable, but it is necessary that they be as short as possible in order to provide the necessary strength for penetration purposes without undue deformation of the points.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved rail bond in which the transverse curve with its resulting disadvantages is made unnecessary, and in which the desired rail engaging points are obtained in a novel manner and are of such construction that deformation thereof does not occur.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of my invention as changes in the construction and operation disclosed therein may be made without departing either from the spirit of the invention or the scope of my broader claims. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a rail joint showing my improved track bond in position,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1, the fish plate being removed for sake of clearness and the clamping bolts being showninsection,

Figure 3 is a perspective viewof the bond,

Figure f is a longitudinal sectional View through the bond,- and i Figure 5 isa transverse sec-tionalviewi on the line VV of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Having reference more particularly to Fig ures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated a portion of a track joint comp-rising rail sections 2 and 3, the joint between which is bridged in the usual manner by fish plates or splice bars l.

Intermediate the center bolts 5 which are provided for the purpose of holding the fish plates or splice bars in position, and irrespective of whether the distance between the centers of these bolts is comparatively short or long, there is room in all standard joints, with which I am familiar, for the insertion of a track bond 6 having the characteristics of the present invention. Such a bond preferably comprises a body of resilient material, such as spring steel substantially flat in trans verse sect-ion, as clearly shown in Figure 5, and curved longitudinally with a substantially uniform curvature as indicated by Fig ure l. In this manner there is provided a bond having a cent-ralarched portion presenting a considerable area adapted to be engaged by a fish plate or splice bar as shown for example, in Figure 1, thereby preventing undue concentration or localization of strains set up in the bond by the act of tightening the nuts 7 on the bolts 5. In order to provide contact forming and scale penetrating points 8 adjacent each corner of the bond, I conveniently subject the bond material while in flat form to the action of an oval shear, the short diameter of which is very materially less than the long diameter, whereby the end portions of the bond are cut away substantially along the arc of a circle of large radius as compared to the width vof the bond. This provides comparatively short points which are necessarily extremely rigid by reason of the supporting action of the main body of the bond. After the shearing action, which normally produces a cut substantially normal to the top and bottom faces of the bond, the bond may be subjected to a suitable bending operation by reason of which the points are directed inwardly, and the entire bond then heat treated to impart the desired characteristics thereto. a

In actual tests, it has been found that a bond of the construction herein disclosed has a considerably less permanent set than bonds for the same purpose as heretofore constructed. This constitutes one of theadvantagcs of the present invent-ion.

By cutting away the ends of the bonds along the arc of a circle of large radius as compared to'the Width of the bond, there are provided extremely effective contact and rust penetrating points without the necessity of imparting a transverse curvature to the bond at any portion thereof and without the necessity of bending any portions of the bond out of the normal plane thereof.

I claim:

1. As an article ofmanufacture, a rail bond comprising a body of spring metal curved longitudinally throughout its length and having end portions cut away substantially along the arcs of circles of large radius as compared to the width of the bond for forming contact points of short length.

2. As an article of manufacture, a rail bond comprising a body of spring metal substantially fiat at transverse sections and curved longitudinally throughout its length, said body having end portions cut away substanti ally alon the arcs of circles of large radius as compared to the Width of the bond for shaping contact points having relatively short lever arms from the curved body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WM.'F'. HART. 

